Harvester



(No Model.)

W. N. WHITELEY.

HARVESTER.

Patented Jan. 24.1882.

NITED STATES PATENT Fete.

WILLIAM N. WHITELEY, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO.

HARVEST-ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 252,826, dated January 24, 1852.

' Application filed September 10, 1881'. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM N. WHITE- LEY, of Springfield, in the county of Clarke and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Harvesters; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and clear description of the same.

My invention relates to that class of reaping-machines known as harvesters, and it consists in a novel appliance for maintaining a practically-uniform tension on the aprons or belts, whereby the cut grain is elevated to the hinder or delivered to the ground.

The endless aprons or conveyers are constructed of stout duck or canvas, with the ends laced together, fastened with straps, or otherwise secured, so that the belts may be loosened or tightened. These belts pass over rollers at each end of the elevator-frame, and, as is well known, canvas is very sensitive to bygrometric changes in the atmosphere, shrinking up in damp weather and stretching out again in dry weather. These changes will sometimes be so great within the space of a few hours as to make several adjustments of the apron necessary.

I am aware that it is common in machinery where belts are employed to use spring and other automatic tightening devices, sometimes applied to the roller or pulley and sometimes to the belt itself; but so far as I am aware the method of mounting said boxes, when applied to harvesters, has been too fragile and liable to derangement from exposed position; and the object of my invention is to obviate these practical defects.

My invention consists in independent rollers mounted between the webs of the elevator-aprons, said rollers being mounted in movable boxes, and capable of moving outward therewith against the descending part of the apron, so as to distend it and keep it taut. These rollers may be kept in operative position by gravity, applied weights, or springs, as may be necessary or desirable.

That others may fully understand myinvention, I will particularly describe it, havingreference to the accompanying drawings, where- 1Il Figure l is a side elevation of an elevatorframe, showing the mode of mounting my rollers. Fig. 2 is a perspective of the elevators with the end frames omitted.

It is desirable to have the rollers at the ends of the elevator-apron a permanently retain their original relative positions.

The in termediateidler-rollers, O O, mounted upon yielding bearings and operated by springs, 850., may be. employed to press upon the apron on or about its mid-length, and thus keep them tight.

To obtain freedom and ease of action it is convenient to mount the rollers in swinging bearings instead of sliding ones, although there is no theoretical difference in their value. For this purpose I provide the arms P and P, which at their upper ends are pivoted to the elevator-frame at R. It is convenient to mount both of said arms upon the same pins. The rollers O and 0 have their journals in the free ends of said arms and pass through curved slots S in the elevator-frame to reach said arms.

The arm I may be provided with a tensionspring, T, to force the roller outward against the apron to tighten it, and the arm P may be similarly provided with a spring; or, owing to the inclined position of the elevator, the roller 0 may be made sufficiently heavy to secure the required tension on the under belt, a.

It will be understood that both ends of the roller 0 and also of Oare provided with yielding or swinging bearings.

In applying the belt to the frame it must be adjusted for proper tension when dry, and when it becomes damp or wet and its tension increases the adjusting device yields and prevents overstraining.

Those parts of this invention, as described in the original specification out of which this specification has been carved, which refer to the methods of applying springs to distend a divided apron-frame are not included herein, but form separate divisions of said original specification.

Having described my invention, what Iclaim as new is- In an inclined elevator for harvesters, the rollers 0 0', provided with yielding journals, in combination with the customary aprons, a a, and mechanism whereby said rollers are forced against the outer or returning portions of said aprons, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

WILLIAM N. WHITELEY. Witnesses A. B. GILMORE, A. N. SUMMERS. 

